A Case of Middle Schooler Syndrome
"Nothing happened between Lady Im Jin and me," Bukjin said firmly. "It's not what you're imagining at all..."
Im Tae-heo cut him off before he could finish. "Then you'd better make it happen! My granddaughter's talent is peerless under heaven. Not to mention, her beauty is the finest in all of Unmong City. As an elder with vast experience, I can guarantee this: in a few years, our Jin-ah’s... development will be even more impressive. She won't just be the belle of Unmong City or Pungeo Province—she’ll be the greatest beauty in the entire North Sea Empire. Kid, if you miss this chance now, you’ll never get another one."
Bukjin stared at him, utterly speechless. Is he seriously worried his granddaughter won't be able to find a husband?
"I'm still young," Bukjin replied, using his age as a convenient shield. "I don't have time for trivial things like romance yet."
"What kind of nonsense is that?" Im Tae-heo barked, sounding genuinely indignant. "A flower must be plucked when it is at its most beautiful. Otherwise, you’ll be left snapping nothing but a withered stem. The young should know how to enjoy their youth! I heard rumors that a magnificent fellow who knew how to appreciate the finer things had appeared, but why the sudden change in attitude? To show such a passive side... I’m disappointed."
"..."
Bukjin didn't want to continue this conversation for another second. He was starting to think that staying close to this principal—who seemed more than a little unhinged—was a bad idea.
"Principal, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Bukjin placed his hand on the doorknob.
At that moment, Im Tae-heo chuckled and snapped his fingers. A faint golden light shimmered between the door and Bukjin's hand. Suddenly, the pattern of a thornbird manifested on the wood, and a Mystic Gate Array surged to life.
The door was now completely sealed.
"Who said you could leave?" Im Tae-heo smiled, taking a leisurely sip of a deep red wine. "Don't think for a second that just because you made it to the finals of the Academic & Martial Arts Competition and earned a Genius Token, you can live a life of leisure in Unmong City. Listen well. Your real crisis is only just beginning."
Bukjin tried to turn the knob, but it wouldn't budge. He sighed, turned around, and asked, "What crisis are you talking about?"
"Have you ever heard of White Cloud City?" Im Tae-heo asked.
"Of course I have," Bukjin replied.
The deity worshipped by the North Sea Empire was the Sword Lord. Consequently, it was no exaggeration to say the empire was a world ruled by swordsmen. The Imperial Family established junior, intermediate, and advanced academies in every region to cultivate talent, but they also maintained three supreme sanctuaries of swordsmanship that held absolute authority within the borders.
The Three Great Sword Holy Lands of the North Sea Empire were White Cloud City, the Sword-Playing Pavilion, and the Small Calamity Sword Abyss.
Among them, White Cloud City had the closest ties to the Imperial Family. It was founded by a legendary swordsman named Chu Tiankuo, who was the senior brother of the Holy Emperor Lee Geomsim, the founder of the North Sea Empire. The two were geniuses from beyond the Eastern Continent and shared a bond as thick as blood. Thus, White Cloud City was regarded as the guardian sanctuary of the empire.
Even a fool in the North Sea Empire knew this. It was the absolute basics taught in every history class across the land. Swordsmen from White Cloud City were famous throughout the empire, active in everything from the military to high-level politics. Even the current Left Chancellor, Zuo Luoyi, was one of the Seven Successors of White Cloud City. Their status and power were second only to the Imperial Family itself. Furthermore, it was said that the Emperor sent his most talented princes and princesses there every year to train.
But what does White Cloud City have to do with me? Bukjin wondered.
Im Tae-heo spoke as if he were watching a fire from across a river. "Jin-ah has been engaged since before she was born to a young genius from White Cloud City named Wei Myeongshin. And that boy's background... is very, very terrifying."
Bukjin was stunned. Engaged since before birth? Why did the plot suddenly get so dramatic?
He scratched his nose and asked, "Very, very terrifying? Exactly how terrifying are we talking about?"
"Let me explain. Wei Myeongshin isn't just a famous genius; his power and status are immense. He is already being tapped as one of the next Seven Successors of White Cloud City. His master, Baek Hae-geum, is one of the Three Great Swordsmen of the city. His grandmaster is Sim Jibi, one of the current Seven Successors, a man whose position rivals that of the Left Chancellor himself. But even more impressive is his father, Wei Sang, the First Administrator of Cheoncho Province. He is a man of such immense authority that he rivals the status your father, the War God, held before his fall."
Im Tae-heo watched Bukjin's face closely as he laid out the facts. As expected, Bukjin's expression shifted.
"That... that Wei-whatever-his-name-is... if he's a genius from White Cloud City, surely he must be a broad-minded individual, right?" Bukjin asked hopefully.
Im Tae-heo drained his glass and smiled. "Haha! Unfortunately, it's quite the opposite. That young brat is famous for being incredibly petty. I’ve heard he never lets a grudge go unpaid. Word is, someone once accidentally disturbed the nap of a magical beast he was raising. Wei Myeongshin chased that man for ten days and nights. When he finally caught him, he broke every bone in the man's body and sent his soul to the afterlife."
Good grief! Bukjin clutched his head. What kind of ridiculous situation is this!
Seeing Bukjin's distress, Im Tae-heo seemed to get even more excited. "And this isn't just a matter of a man being petty or broad-minded. What man would stay calm after hearing that someone had been messing with his fiancée? Any man who could swallow his anger in that situation wouldn't be a man at all."
The more Bukjin listened, the more his head throbbed. He's right! If that Wei Myeongshin fellow hears about what happened between Im Jin and me in the trial grounds, disaster will be unavoidable! No matter how much I explain that nothing happened, it won't be convincing at all... I'll end up in a state worse than being burned alive.
"Hahaha! Bukjin, you're young, what are you worried about? Don't be so afraid. I support you! We live in an era where men and women should be free to meet whoever they like. Arranged marriages from the womb are outdated! Yes, indeed! This old man cheers for the relationship between you and Jin-ah!"
Suddenly, Im Tae-heo reached into his robes and pulled out several martial arts manuals. He fanned them out like a deck of cards. Bukjin stole a glance at them. Some of the titles were grand enough to shake the heavens and split the earth—names like Radiant Sun Illumination, Water Moon Strike, and World-Purifying Demon-Breaking Qi. Even to Bukjin’s untrained eye, they looked incredibly precious.
"Look here. These are the cultivation methods, sword techniques, training manuals, movement arts, and breathing techniques I have prepared for you with all my heart," Im Tae-heo said. "If you train hard and master these, you might be able to stand tall against Wei Myeongshin in ten or twenty years."
Ten or twenty years?! Are you kidding me? All Bukjin wanted was to find a way back to Earth. He had zero interest in spending two decades training to become a master.
"I heard that even after winning the competition, you chose a piece of trash like the Peerless Sword Body. In my eyes, you have no discernment when it comes to martial arts. Therefore, I shall choose for you."
Im Tae-heo tucked the grand manuals back into his robes and handed Bukjin only two thin books.
"These are techniques I personally created, pouring my life's blood into them. One is a sword style, and the other is a movement art. Take them and train."
Bukjin looked at the two books in the principal's hand. They were titled Flowers Before the Moon Sword and Stealing Fragrance and Jade Steps.
A sword for moonlit flowers and steps for stealing fragrance and jade... They sounded suspiciously like the techniques of a philanderer.
Bukjin took the two manuals and flipped open the Flowers Before the Moon Sword first. As he read the introduction on the first page, his expression turned strange. He looked up and asked, "This sword style... is only a 2-star technique?"
"What did you expect?" Im Tae-heo said with a condescending look. "Your Mystic Energy level is pathetic and your skills are mediocre. Theoretically, a 2-star technique is the absolute limit of what you can manifest with your current strength. Do you think I would have given you such a low-grade, ordinary technique otherwise? Young man, if you want to become my grandson-in-law, you must work yourself to death! Become a genius so brilliant that even I am blinded by your light."
"..."
Bukjin suddenly realized that this lecherous principal was also suffering from a severe case of "Middle Schooler Syndrome."
He then opened the other manual, Stealing Fragrance and Jade Steps. It was also a 2-star technique. After examining it closely, he realized it was a movement art similar to the ones he had read about in wuxia novels back on Earth. As he studied the manuals, Bukjin had to admit one thing: the principal giving him these two specific techniques was a perfect prescription for his current level.
With the Flowers Before the Moon Sword, he would no longer have to rely solely on the basic Close-body Triple Link. Moreover, Stealing Fragrance and Jade Steps provided the footwork he desperately lacked. Mastering these two would significantly boost his combat power. Bukjin didn't hesitate and gratefully accepted the manuals.
"Oh, right! Principal, do you happen to have any techniques related to mental power?" Bukjin decided to push his luck while he was at it.
Im Tae-heo looked at him with a surprised glint in his eyes. "You... you've been training your mental power too?"